logo
Laos convenes forum to promote regional economic cooperation

Laos convenes forum to promote regional economic cooperation

The Star24-05-2025

FILE photo. The HCMC delegation joined a forum held in Pakse, Champasak Province, Laos, which aims to promote investment, trade, and tourism among Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, on April 10, 2023. - Photo: SGGP file
VIENTIANE: Representatives from the governments and businesses of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered in southern Laos' Sekong province on Friday (May 23) to strengthen economic cooperation, improve trade and international cargo transport, and enhance the region's competitiveness both regionally and globally.
They gathered for a forum on Trade, Investment, and Tourism Promotion Strengthening Cooperation in the East-West Corridor, Lao Economic Daily reported on Friday.
In his speech, Governor of Sekong province Leklai Sivilay emphasised the seminar's significance in strengthening the potential and capabilities of southern Lao provinces alongside their Thai and Vietnamese counterparts.
He highlighted the event's role in encouraging businesses from Thailand and Vietnam to explore investment and partnership opportunities in Laos.
The forum also facilitated knowledge exchange on socio-economic development and investment prospects, forming the basis for future collaborative trade, investment, and tourism initiatives.
It also opens new opportunities for manufacturers and entrepreneurs to access markets, contributing to local socio-economic development, boosting tourism, creating jobs, generating income, and supporting sustainable growth. - Xinhua

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Daimler opens new bus, truck factory in Cikarang
Daimler opens new bus, truck factory in Cikarang

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Daimler opens new bus, truck factory in Cikarang

Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita (third from right) attends the opening ceremony of PT Daimler Commercial Vehicles Manufacturing Indonesia's new factory in Cikarang, West Java, on June 10. — The Jakarta Post JAKARTA: PT Daimler Commercial Vehicles Manufacturing Indonesia (DCVMI), a subsidiary of Germany's Daimler Truck, officially opened a new factory in Cikarang, West Java to manufacture buses and trucks for both domestic sales and export markets. Spanning 15ha and backed by around 500 billion rupiah investment, the facility will produce various models of Mercedes-Benz Axor trucks and specially designed Mercedes-Benz bus chassis tailored for the Indonesian market. 'We are committed to creating jobs, driving innovation and contributing to the growth of Indonesia's economy,' said DCVMI president director Sankara-narayanan Ramamurthi in a statement. The company had previously operated out of a plant in Wanaherang, West Java, since 1978. However, in September 2023, that facility was acquired by Inchcape and Indomobil, which they use to produce Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and other brands under their portfolio, including Great Wall Motor (GWM). Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in a statement on Tuesday that with an annual production capacity of 5,000 vehicles, DCVMI now ranks among the top five commercial vehicle manufacturers in Indonesia. He expressed hope that the new facility would pave the way for developing new models and upgrading emissions standards for its vehicle models from Euro 4 to Euro 5 or even Euro 6, which could translate to boost to its export performance. 'The government also hopes DCVMI can raise the local content of its products, which currently averages 28.08%,' Agus said in a statement. He also noted that Indonesia posted a 9.7 trillion rupiah trade deficit in commercial vehicles during the first quarter of the year. While exports reached just US$75.5mil, imports soared to US$684.2mil, a gap that underscores the urgency to strengthen local manufacturing. Beyond DCVMI, several other automakers are also building their local factories or ramping up their production footprints in Indonesia, especially those focused on electric vehicles (EVs). Chinese EV giant BYD is currently building a new factory in Subang, West Java, backed by an estimated 16 trillion rupiah investment. Set to be completed by the end of this year, the plant will have the capacity to produce 150,000 EVs annually, with most units targeted for export. Meanwhile, Vietnamese automaker VinFast is also pushing ahead with its factory project in the same area. Backed by an investment of around four trillion rupiah, the facility will sit on top of 120ha of land and is slated to begin operations next year, with a projected output of 50,000 EVs per year. The country saw car sales decline 16.1% year-on-year to 60,613 units in May, down from 71,391 in the same month last year, according to monthly wholesales figures released by the Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers. Weakening household purchasing power was the key reason behind the slump in auto sales, as economic conditions had yet to show meaningful improvement, Gaikindo said on Monday, as quoted by — The Jakarta Post/ANN

Slovenia extends fuel price regulation to highways to prevent inflation surge
Slovenia extends fuel price regulation to highways to prevent inflation surge

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

Slovenia extends fuel price regulation to highways to prevent inflation surge

LJUBLJANA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian government on Thursday extended its gasoline price regulation to include highways and extended the overall policy for another six months to prevent excessive price increases. "The main goal of the government is to keep gasoline prices low for people ... Based on this decree gasoline prices on highways will no longer be higher than elsewhere in the country," Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon told reporters after a regular government session. The government has been regulating fuel prices outside highways since 2022. Prices are recalculated every 14 days. Under the current regulation, which was set to expire on June 17, the price outside highways is fixed at 1.437 euros per liter for unleaded gasoline. Currently, highway prices are approximately 17 percent higher than that figure. Authorities expect that the extended regulation will help contain inflation, which slowed to 1.8 percent year-on-year in May.

U.S. stocks rebound as inflation data cools
U.S. stocks rebound as inflation data cools

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

U.S. stocks rebound as inflation data cools

NEW YORK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday, lifted by easing inflation concerns and a surge in Oracle shares, even as trade tensions and corporate headwinds kept investors cautious. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 101.85 points, or 0.24 percent, to 42,967.62. The S&P 500 added 23.02 points, or 0.38 percent, to 6,045.26. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 46.61 points, or 0.24 percent, to 19,662.49. Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with utilities and technology leading the gainers by adding 1.26 percent and 1.01 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, communication services and consumer discretionary led the laggards by losing 0.59 percent and 0.41 percent, respectively. The U.S. producer price index for May rose just 0.1 percent from April, below economist expectations of a 0.2 percent increase, suggesting modest inflationary pressure at the wholesale level, according to data issued on Thursday. On an annual basis, wholesale prices were up 2.6 percent, a slight uptick from April's 2.4 percent, but still aligned with forecasts. Core producer inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy, also came in softer than expected. "Concerns about widespread increases in producer prices due to tariffs continue to be dissuaded," said Nationwide's Ben Ayers, citing lower fuel costs as a moderating factor. Labor data added to the mixed economic picture, with weekly jobless claims holding steady at 248,000, slightly above forecasts and marking the second consecutive week at the highest level since October. "There are early warning signs in the labor market," said Navy Federal Credit Union's chief economist, Heather Long. "If layoffs worsen this summer, it will heighten fears of a recession and consumer spending pullback." "We still think the primary driver for market direction and to break out to all-time highs would be some resolution for tariffs and how they interlink with the budget and the Fed. And we see a lot of headlines about negotiations or pauses or frameworks, but we still haven't seen a single signed trade deal between the U.S. and its trade partners," said Tom Hainlin, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Asset Management Group. In corporate news, Boeing led Dow and S&P 500 decliners, dropping 4.79 percent after an Air India 787-8 crash. Suppliers GE Aerospace and Spirit AeroSystems also slid. Technology stocks saw mixed performance. Microsoft rose 1.32 percent, while Nvidia and Broadcom each added more than 1 percent. Apple edged higher, but Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Tesla slipped. Tesla's 2.23 percent dip came after a four-day winning streak, during which it clawed back losses from last week's Musk-Trump controversy. The day's standout performer was Oracle, which soared 13.31 percent to a record high. The company topped quarterly earnings estimates and projected strong revenue growth, driven by robust demand for cloud and AI infrastructure services.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store